Part 10 in Our Series on Starting a Business

Getting the help you need

Running a business can be compared to keeping a house; there are many things that need to be done, and often they exceed the skills, the time, or the desire of the owner to do them.  A homeowner may be able to paint their house, but may determine it is worth it to pay someone else to do the job.  Similarly, a business owner may feel his or her time is better spent designing or improving their product or service rather than doing the bookkeeping, researching insurance options, or updating the website.

Almost every entrepreneur needs at least one outside professional to help with the needs of the business.  Most often an accountant or a lawyer is contracted on a consultant basis because a business only needs their services once in awhile.  But these days you can hire almost any position on a consultant basis, and many businesses do.

Consultants can process payroll, handle printing and copying needs, find the best places for the business to advertise, design and set up tradeshow displays – the possibilities are endless. You can even hire a Virtual Assistant!

The benefits of hiring out just what you need are many:

·        Though you may pay more per hour for a consultant, you are paying for just the services you need

·         You don’t have to pay for or administrate employee benefits

·         Professional consultants are experts in their field

·         You simply can’t do everything yourself!

If you are not in the position to hire an employee for each service you need, consider looking for external help and hire consultants with the specific expertise to get the job you need done, and done well.

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Kim Luedke is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.

Part 9 of Our Series on Starting a Business

Employees and All that they Bring

At some point in your business journey you may find that you need more hands.  The decision to hire employees should not be taken lightly.  Though employees can be the lifeblood of the business, they bring with them many responsibilities. 

First let’s distinguish between employees and independent contractors.  Employees work for the business, in most cases exclusively.  Businesses typically provide the tools and systems the employee uses.  Employees often get benefits ranging from vacation and personal leave to health insurance and pensions.  Independent contractors work for themselves, usually in their own space with their own equipment.  Contractors do not get benefits from the business, and they typically work for more than one business.  One of the main distinguishing characteristics between employees and independent contractors is that a business must pay taxes for each employee, and not for contractors.

There are many considerations a business owner must address when deciding to hire employees.  Here are just some of them:

·        How (hourly, salary, commission) and how much to pay the employee

·        Employee benefits (vacation, holidays, health or other insurance, pension, etc.)

·        Where the employee will perform their job

·        Training

·        Required taxes and reporting

·        State and federal safety laws; worker’s compensation

·        Setting expectations, performance reviews, disciplinary action if necessary

After considering all of the requirements and your particular situation, decide whether it will be best to hire employees, contractors, or both to fulfill your business needs.

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Kim Luedke is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.

Ten Part Series on Starting a Business - Part 8

Bookkeeping, Budgeting, Accounting, and Finances

New business owners will have varying skills with regards to accounting, bookkeeping, budgeting and finances, but will likely require help at some level to make sure the business is keeping appropriate records and correctly tracking income and expenses.  Today’s software makes this easier than ever, but it is vital for the business owner(s) to have at least a basic understanding of accounting principles, even if they have someone else keeping the books.  Taking a class or two will be well worth the time and expense when it comes time to set up your books and organizational system, and when preparing to provide your accountant with what they need to prepare your taxes (or to prepare them yourself).

There are no particular rules for how you organize your financial records, but the more organized you are:

·        the more easily you will be able to find what you need when you need it

·        the more likely you will know where your business stands financially

·        the easier (and less expensive) it will be for your accountant to prepare your taxes, including finding all applicable deductions

·        the easier it will be if you are audited

Be sure to:

·        Keep receipts or proof of all expenses

·        Keep track of all income

·        Decide which accounting method you will use (cash or accrual), and make sure all entries are recorded according to that method

·        Record everything in a timely manner

Also, become reasonably knowledgeable with the following terms and processes:

Accounting

Bookkeeping

Invoices vs. Statements

Receipts

Accounts Payable

Accounts Receivable

Taxable vs. Non-taxable Sales

Profit and Loss Statement

Balance Sheet

Cash Flow

Accounting and finances do not have to be daunting, but it does pay to do your homework and keep careful records.

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Kim Luedke is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.

Ten Part Series on Starting a Business - Part 7

Contracts and Agreements

As a business owner, you will no doubt require contracts and agreements from time to time with customers, suppliers, landlords, sub-contractors, and others.  Though some contracts, particularly with government agencies, can make you a little crazy with legalese and sometimes strange requirements, many contracts can be simple and straight-forward. 

In order to be valid, contracts must contain the following ingredients:

1.      Parties must be in agreement

2.      Something of value is offered and accepted

3.      Usually the contract is in writing.  Though oral contracts are possible, in business it is often smarter to make sure everything agreed to is in writing in order to protect all involved parties.

Though the word contract conjures up weird legal language in our minds, legalese is not a requirement.  Do make sure that the agreement is clear and as specific as possible as to what each party is expected to do in order to fulfill their duties under the terms of the agreement. 

Agreements will include the thing of value for the offer.  For example, a contract for website design might offer a complete website for “x” amount of dollars.  A barter agreement may offer housecleaning in exchange for room and board. 

How to begin?  Many standard contracts are available on the internet, at the library, in office-supply stores, and in many other places.  Modify it according to the needs of the specific agreement.

Be sure to include the following:

·        A title or something that shows clearly and concisely the use of the contract.

·        Names and addresses of the parties involved in the contract.

·        What each party will do under the terms of the contract

·        What will be exchanged (i.e. money for services provided)

·        Payment arrangements

·        Warranties, and how breach of contracts will be addressed, including which state’s laws will apply

·        Whether or not the contract may be transferred

·        The term of the contract

·        A termination clause, if appropriate

·        Signatures and dates

It pays to be thorough when writing a contract.  The more all parties are clear as to their responsibilities in a contract, the less likely any conflict will ensue. 

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Kim Luedke is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.

Ten Part Series on Starting a Business - Part 6

Taxes

Business taxes, like your personal taxes, are a necessary evil.  Business tax requirements vary greatly depending on the state, county, and city in which your business is located.  While we can’t cover even a fraction of what you will need to know about your business taxes, here are some basics.

Taxes are typically levied by the Federal government, your state government, and your local government – city or county or both.  The Federal government of course works via the IRS, and collects taxes on corporate and individual income.  States typically collect taxes on business income, sales, and payroll.  Cities and/or counties can collect any number of things, including property, gross receipts or payroll, sales, etc.

Just like with your personal income taxes, the prime goal of business taxes is to keep as much income as possible by using as many legitimate deductions as possible.  To keep out of trouble, it is important to know which deductions are actually legitimate, and know that the rules change from year to year. 

It is important to know that when you own a business, your personal income taxes will be handled differently than when you worked for a company that took care of them for you.  And requirements are very different depending on your business structure (see the second blog in this series for more information on business structures).  Income, expenses, and reporting structure will vary according to whether you are a sole proprietor, a partnership, or a corporation, and it is important to know what you need to do in each situation. 

The most important thing to remember is that there is no logic in the tax system, and there is little use in trying to find some.  Suffice it to say that you will be taxed in a number of ways, and unless you are a tax specialist yourself, you will be wise to consult someone who is.  Ask friends and colleagues for recommendations on a good accountant, and meet with several until you find someone you like and trust. 

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Kim Luedke is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.

Ten Part Series on Starting a Business - Part 4

The marketing plan

Once you’ve decided what you are going to do with your business, service, or product, it is time to develop a solid marketing strategy to let the world (or at least your target market) know what you’re doing.  Marketing can be costly, so it is important to put some effort into a marketing plan to make the most efficient and effective use of your marketing dollars. 

First step in designing a marketing plan?  Determine your target market(s).  Who wants or needs your product or service?  The more specific you are, the better the chance that you can reach exactly who you need to reach. 

Once you’ve identified your specific target market(s), it is a good idea to determine what your marketing budget will be.  Then you can brainstorm how to make the best use of those dollars.  Do you need to attend trade shows? Purchase/rent contact lists? How can you leverage social media, contacts you already have, email marketing, advertising, and/or direct mail to get the most “bang” for your marketing buck?  Do you have a marketing professional on staff?  Do you need to hire a consultant to help you with strategy, branding, messaging, etc.?

Your marketing plan will be most effective if you choose a variety of ways to reach people, and set a schedule for implementing each of them. 

Don’t overlook “internal” marketing.  Does your staff know the message you are trying to send?  Are they well-versed in your product or service line? When a current or potential customer reaches your company, do they get a professional and helpful person on the phone, someone who is just trying to get through the week (and it’s obvious), or an automated run-around?  Make sure your WHOLE business reflects and LIVES your mission and vision.

And finally, be sure to measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and make adjustments along the way as necessary. This will assure you are getting the best return on your marketing investment and your marketing efforts are always meeting your organization’s goals and objectives.

What’s your biggest challenge with developing and implementing a strategic marketing plan?

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Kim Luedke is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.

Ten Part Series on Starting a Business - Part 3

Part 3 - The business plan

We could (and maybe we will) write a series just on this topic; but let’s start with an overview.  A business plan may seem like a huge, tedious undertaking with little return results, especially when you have so many other things to do as a new entrepreneur.  But don’t make the mistake of thinking that way.  You will gain so much by going through this process! 

All business plans describe the business in detail and show financial calculations/budgets projecting income.  Beyond that, different business plans serve different purposes.  If you are planning to obtain business loans or attract investors, a business plan is usually a requirement.  This type of plan should be written to sell investors on your business vision.  A plan to persuade potential investors/money-lenders to support your business must include thorough market research, a management plan, and detailed financial information including projected revenue and expenses.  This plan must be written clearly and professionally. 

If you are not planning to apply for loans or entice investors, your business plan is a tool to make sure you have thought of everything.  This type of plan can be much more informal, because it is for internal use only; however, don’t do yourself the disservice of thinking you can just throw something together.  You will get out of it what you put into it, and you may save yourself the heartbreak and financial distress of learning much too late that your business isn’t viable. 

A good business plan is comprehensive, and should include the following information at a minimum:

·        A thorough description of the business including its purpose, mission, and vision, and how it will work

·        A market analysis

·        Detailed financial projections, including start-up costs

·        A competitor analysis

·        Resumes of the key players in the business

·        A marketing plan

What other items would you include in your business plan?

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Kim Luedke is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.

Ten Part Series on Starting a Business - Part 2

Set it up legally

Once you’ve decided to go into business you have some decisions to make.  The first is what your legal structure will be.  There are several legal business structures, and of course a great many things to consider under each category, including personal liability, taxation, working with family or friends, agreements and bylaws, and a much more. 

The following are very basic definitions of each type of business; The information is not meant to be all-inclusive.  We urge you to do your homework and seek legal advice if necessary to make sure your business starts off on the right foundation.

Sole Proprietorships – Here you are on your own.  You are the only owner of the business.  Most freelance photographers, writers, handymen, etc. fall into this category, but many other businesses can be sole proprietorships as well.  This is the simplest business to run from a legal standpoint.  However one major consideration of this business structure is that legally you as the owner are not separated from the business.  In other words, you can be personally responsible/liable for any business debt.

Partnerships – A partnership is formed when two or more owners form a business and do not choose to become a corporation or LLC, or limited partnership.  Like sole proprietorships, partners are also personally indistinguishable from the business itself, and therefore can be liable for business debt, unless they also form an LLC or limited partnership.

Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) - Limited Liability Companies are a good option for those who want to have a legitimate business without the worries of personal liability for business debt, but who don’t want to go through all of the rigmarole of forming a corporation.  LLCs can offer the best of both worlds, combining the taxation structure of sole proprietorships and partnerships with the protection of a corporation.

Corporations – A corporation can be any size, from a single owner to a huge conglomerate.  The distinguishing feature is that is a formal and separate legal entity from the business owners, and it must follow certain tax rules.  Corporation owners are called shareholders, and they can be private or publicly traded (that’s an article for another day).

When deciding on the appropriate structure for your business, research carefully to choose the best one for your situation. 

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Kim Luedke is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.

Ten Part Series on Starting a Business - Part 1

So you want to start a business

Starting a business can run the gamut of emotions from exciting and fun to frustrating and scary.  But the overall feeling is usually one of satisfaction and hard work paying off for you instead of always someone else.  Starting your own business is easier than you think once you have an idea of what you’d like to do.  You can start from scratch or buy an existing business or franchise.  You can start by yourself or with partners or even a large group. 

However you decide to begin, the steps are much the same.  This ten part series will get you started with articles about deciding on a legal structure, developing a business plan and a marketing plan, deciding how to price your product or service and how to bid.  In addition we will cover accounting, finance and record-keeping, taxes and other governmental requirements, contracts, employees, and how to get the help you need. 

Of course we can only scratch the surface of these topics in blog-form -- you will need legal and accounting expertise -- but the information will help you get started. 

First things first:  What kind of business do you want to start?
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Kim Luedke is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.

Social Media Series for Small Business – An In-depth Look at Facebook for Your Small Business

If you've been following our Social Media Series for Small Business, you know we've now talked about which Social Media sites are best for your business, what good posting strategies you should employ and how you can re-use content to enhance your overall social media strategy.

With this post, we want to start to dive a little deeper into each Social Media platform with a more detailed look at Facebook for your small business.

Click above to take a look at an enhanced version of our Social Media for Small Business Infographic.

As we discussed before, Facebook has the most content shared of the sites we are reviewing with more than 1.3 billion users and growing.

Of all the options we've looked at, Facebook offers a more personal approach for small businesses than some of the other platforms. Facebook is known for personal connections so it’s only natural for small businesses to make this their platform of choice.

But it does depend on where you can find your customers. If you are a B2C (Business-to-Consumer) operation, Facebook may be a really good option for you. With 1.3 billion users, it’s safe to say at least a good chunk of your consumers are on Facebook.

But it may also be a good option for B2B (Business-to-Business) if those businesses are small businesses.

Facebook offers the opportunity to connect, have conversations and get to know your followers.

We recommend posting 2 - 4 times per day, including shares, likes and comments. A good mix might look like this:

1. Post a link to a new blog post weekly or bi-weekly that is not a sales pitch, but offers valuable information to your customers and prospects
2. Regularly post your latest how-to videos from YouTube
3. Daily like, share or comment on an item of interest from one of your followers that will enhance the experience to your followers
4. Engage in strategic conversation around topics important to your business and your followers
5. Follow others who will enhance the experience from your page as well as customers and potential customers
6. Post testimonials from current customers
7. Enhance the experience with add-ins like Pinterest and Foursquare if they are right for your business
8. Increase opportunities and followers by purchasing Facebook advertising

It’s also important to remember what NOT to do on Facebook:

• Don’t get political or pontificate
• Don’t over post, share, like or comment
• Don’t post your personal life on your business Facebook page

The key to every good social media strategy is to have a plan, think it through. Your social media should tie into your overall organizational goals. Be sure to think like your customer and be genuine. Above all #BeStrategic.

We would love it if you would share some ways you have successfully (or not so successfully – because we can all learn from that too!) integrated Facebook into your small business social media plan.

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing, event planning and other support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff. Learn more at www.gettheprofessionaledge.com.

Social Media Series for Small Business: Can Old Content Still Benefit You?

Based on our earlier articles in this series, you should be investing a good bit of time focusing on posting to the best social media platforms for your business. You should have a good mix of your own content and shares, likes, pins, replies and retweets of other pertinent content.

Once you get into a rhythm here, you have one thing for sure. A lot of content! But don’t let it go to waste.

Make the most of previously developed content by re-posting, pinning, sharing and tweeting. With so many competing posts, you can and should garner a fresh audience for your re-posts of old content.

But when is the best time to re-post old content?

• About a week after you posted it initially.
•  Again on pertinent occasions – like Take Your Child to Work Day if your article has something to do with career building activities for children.
• Whenever you really need to post something and simply don’t have the time or passion to write something new!

You can even freshen up old articles, add new information and a new title and release them again.

We’re not saying that every article should be the same article by any means. But we want you to remember that you do have a toolkit to pull from when needed and it’s a good way to add to the content you are putting out there.

Have you added any of our suggestions to your social media strategy? We’d love to hear from you!

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing, event planning and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff. Learn more at www.gettheprofessionaledge.com.

Social Media Series for Small Business: Are You Integrating Good Posting Strategies into Your Social Media Plan?

To post or not to post, that is the question. With so many different social media options available to your small business now, how do you know how often to post and when you’ve gone over the top?

You want to strike the best balance in your social media postings so you are engaging your audience but not pushing them to the point of hiding your posts.

Let’s look again at our Social Media for Small Businesses Infographic for some tips to incorporate in your social media plan using the major social media sites.

As you’ll see, different social media sites require a different level of commitment. You shouldn’t, for instance, post on any other site the same amount you post on Twitter or pin on Pinterest. You will have followers, friends and circles running for the hills!

Let’s examine good netiquette for each site:

Facebook

For Facebook no more than 2 - 4 posts per day are recommended, but keep in mind that includes shares, likes and comments you make to others’ posts which will also show up on your wall and be seen by your followers. We post our own content a few times per week to our ProfessionalEdge Facebook page and then share, like and engage in conversation for the rest of the week.

Instagram

Instagram is more of a gallery of photos and video so posts per day don’t really matter, as long as whatever posts you make are relevant to your followers.

Google+

Regular and consistent (ideally daily like Facebook) posts and conversations are key to making the most of Google+. You may have a different audience here so you can re-post some of the things you have pinned and posted everywhere else.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is all about the conversation. 2 - 4 posts per week is a good measure, but it is more important to participate in conversations with group members and connections to make the most of this service.

Pinterest

Pin away to your heart’s content – it’s addicting! For your business, post as much as you can to your boards and then re-pin often so it’s fresh and seen by followers. One note here – be sure to use the description wisely as it can only enhance the story told by your picture. Share meaningful

Pinterest pins to your Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter pages as well (but count them as posts on those sites when you do!).

Twitter

Twitter has become a massive universe all its own and it never stops. It too can be addicting if you let it! Pre-schedule tweets for your business in advance to maximize your time investment. Using one of several tools available this can take a bit of time every few weeks, but it is well worth the effort not to have to remember to post specific topics each day. Then you can take a few minutes a couple times a day to browse through other’s tweets, retweet and engage in conversation.

YouTube

With YouTube, you should commit yourself to uploading a new video once a week or once a month (whatever you’re capable of) and stick to it. Remember, YouTube is owned by Google so posts by design increase your search engine standing. Be sure to include relevant meta tags to help searchers find your content.

The bottom line when you are posting to social media sites is to be consistent, but don’t overdo it. Don’t be that “friend” who likes and shares every post she comes across and then makes them public so you have to scroll over them to get to something worth reading. Or, worse yet, hide her content so you don’t have to navigate around it.

The goal is to come up with a strategy that works best for your business and meets your goals and objectives. Make true connections and enhance your success!

Let us know what you find works best for your business!

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing, event planning and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff. Learn more at www.gettheprofessionaledge.com.

Social Media for Small Business: Which Social Media Platform is Right for Me?

As a small business, you have many challenges you face every day. Not only is your time spread thin, your dollars are stretched tighter than pantyhose on Miss Piggy. And you still have to work on your business while you are working in your business.

Here is an important quote from Henry Ford.

“A man who stops advertising to save money

is like a man who stops a clock to save time.”

Even with everything else you have going on in your business, you must make the time and the investment to market your business. For small businesses, social media is an excellent way to continue to market your business without a large investment of money. But it does take time, and you have to start somewhere. So how do you navigate the many different social media opportunities available to you?

To help cut through some of the clutter, this will be the first in a series of articles on Social Media for Small Business. We will start with the top seven social media sites that are appropriate for small business – Facebook, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

To aid in breaking down the overwhelming amount of information, we've created an infographic that illustrates the most useful information about each of these sites. Click on the graphic to open a larger version in a new window.

In this article, we will focus on how to determine which social media opportunities will work best for your business.

Let’s start with what each of these sites can do for you.

Facebook is a social networking site with 1.3 billion users and growing rapidly. Because of this high number of users, it is where the highest amount of content is shared. Facebook is a medium for businesses who want to connect with individuals or other small businesses. It’s a great place to post important information about your business and to have conversations with customers and potential customers about how you can meet their needs.

Instagram is a visual marketing site with 150 million users. It allows you to relate to consumers through pictures and video. Instagram is a medium used by photographers and videographers to showcase their talents and could also be a good way for small boutiques, fashion designers or similar small businesses to post photos of their merchandise.

Google+ is a social networking and identity site with 500 million users. Google+ is similar in a lot of ways to other social networking sites, so you may think it is redundant. But consider that is owned by Google, one of the largest search engines in the world, so every time you post on Google+ it increases your SEO (search engine optimization). Google+ also includes an authorship tool that associates web-content directly with its owner/author.

LinkedIn is a business networking site with 240 million users. It offers opportunities to network and connect with business associates and potential business customers. It is best used to make and cultivate connections for your business.

Pinterest is a visual discovery site with 70 million users, the majority of whom are female. This site allows you to post or pin pictures of things you like or want to share and to connect with others through their pins and posts. Pinterest is a tool to enhance your other social networking by sharing pins and posts on other sites. Small businesses who want to share photos of their merchandise, recipes or items in a portfolio should consider adding Pinterest to the mix.

Twitter is a micro blogging site with 600 million users. Each post is limited to 140 characters and can now also include a graphic or photo. Twitter is used primarily to share real-time information about what is going on in your business. It is a tool for on-the-spot communication about events, sales and other promotions and can also be used to share blog posts and other important information about your business. Twitter takes an investment of time overall, but there are many tools available to help you schedule and plan posts in advance. We’ll talk about them in more detail in a future article in this series.

YouTube is a video marketing tool with 1 billion unique users each month. It is owned by Google so it also helps increase SEO. YouTube provides and opportunity for businesses to share how-to’s, training and other informational videos about your business that can be added to posts in other mediums to increase visibility. Creating videos doesn't have to be expensive and can be done on most laptops or tablets now with only an investment of time. They should be considered as an add-on to any small business marketing strategy.

That is each of the top 7 social media opportunities in a nutshell. There are of course many other ways for businesses to use each of these sites. Please comment below to share how you are using these or other sites or how you want to incorporate them into your small business marketing strategy.

Please take a moment to share our blog with your colleagues and friends who you think may benefit. The next article will dive further into each of these sites and talk about good posting strategies to enhance your social media effectiveness.

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing, event planning and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff. Learn more at www.gettheprofessionaledge.com.

Social Media Series for Small Business – An In-depth Look at LinkedIn for Your Small Business

This week we are back to our Social Media Series for Small Business with an in depth look at LinkedIn.  To date, we've talked about which Social Media sites are best for your business and what good posting strategies you should be using, and we've taken an in depth look at Facebook for small business.

Let’s take another look at the enhanced version of our Social Media for Small Business Infographic.

As we reviewed before, LinkedIn is a business networking site with about 240 million users. The best use we've seen for LinkedIn is a networking tool for those out of work or looking to move in a different direction with their career.

But LinkedIn can also be a great tool for small business.

First, start by creating a LinkedIn Company Page to raise brand awareness and teach potential customers about your products and services.

Use your posts to attract followers to your company page. Followers are key to driving word of mouth, recommendations and referrals. The more quality followers you have, the more you will increase your reach and engagement.

You can start increasing followers by asking your employees to add your company page to their personal profiles. By doing this they are automatically following your company page and can like and comment on posts about your company. Do the same from your personal page and you've just expanded your company page’s reach significantly.

Next, ask your customers and potential customers to follow your Company Page – include links to connect on your website and other social media as well as in your email communications.

Increase your exposure by posting regularly. Share company news, industry articles and start key discussions about topics important to your customers and potential customers. We recommend 2 - 4 times per week; others may recommend daily. Like every other social media site, the key to success is to have a strategy and be consistent.

LinkedIn may take a bit more effort to cultivate, but the opportunities to expand your network may well be worth the investment of your time.

How are you using LinkedIn to benefit your small business?

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing, event planning and other support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff. Learn more at www.gettheprofessionaledge.com.